Adam Johnson reading recap

Last night, Adam Johnson read from his as yet untitled novel about North Korea at the SFSU Poetry Center during the 2010 Gina Berriault Award ceremony. Johnson explained to the group of students, faculty, and friends of Berriault that the work is still in progress and began his reading by saying, "It is weird to read from a book that I don’t yet know the end to."

Regardless of the state of the novel, the work Johnson read was riveting and told of the trials and tribulations of life in North Korea. Johnson explained that he wanted to portray the human and emotional side of a country wrought with so much suffering and conflict. He claimed to have developed an "obsession" with the country and it’s people, an obsession that shines through in the carefully articulated characters and sense of place in the novel. Johnson spoke of his travels in North Korea while researching the novel; he described the dangerous air travel, the hilarity of the museums dedicated to Kim Jong Il and the lack of spontaneity in North Korean culture. When asked if he is worried about the novel ending up in the hands of the North Korean government, Johnson responded, "I can only hope that Kim Jong Il will hear about this book and say something."

The novel does not yet have a release date, so stay tuned to Johnson’s website for release and reading information.